


Not Exactly What I Wanted

by Tahlruil



Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alpha Bucky Barnes, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Bucky Barnes & Winter Soldier are Different Personalities, Bucky Barnes Feels, Bucky Barnes Needs a Hug, Forced Marriage, How Do I Tag, Howard Stark's A+ Parenting, Implied/Referenced Torture, M/M, Omega Tony Stark, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Protective Bucky Barnes, Some Fluff, Some Plot, Some angst, Tony Stark Needs a Hug
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-06
Updated: 2019-01-06
Packaged: 2019-10-01 17:09:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,807
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17248145
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tahlruil/pseuds/Tahlruil
Summary: Tony has always been happy to piss off Alphas who try to control him - especially Howard Stark. Unfortunately he managed to push his father just a little too far... and the man arranged to have him auctioned off to the highest bidder. Now he's married to a guy he hardly knows, one that is too damn patient and too damn nice. There's no way that isn't an act, and Tony is resolved to be a little shit until he finds out the limits of his husband's fake personality.Though he's been back from the war for a while, Bucky has been left scarred by the experience. The most prominent one is the personality that came into being because of Hydra's torture and brainwashing attempts when he was captured. They were rescued before they became the Winter Soldier, but Winter is still very much sharing space in his head. Winter has never responded to anyone positively... until they met Tony at an auction Bucky had been dragged to by a former commanding officer. They are both captivated by the Omega and buy him despite their better judgement.





	Not Exactly What I Wanted

**Author's Note:**

  * For [phlintandsteel](https://archiveofourown.org/users/phlintandsteel/gifts).



> Yay, Holiday Exchanges! I hope you like it phlintandsteel! <3
> 
> This is my first foray into writing A/B/O, so I'm hoping that it came off well. XD I fully plan to turn this into a series, because I didn't really have the chance to write everything that I wanted. So! There will be more to come, if slowly.
> 
> Thanks so much for reading! Comments are love. <3

Tony hated his husbad for having such a comfortable looking bed.

He hated the man for a lot of things, actually. The biggest strike against him was the whole buying him like chattel thing, but there were a lot of little things that were irritating too. Like the way he didn't talk a lot, leaving Tony to chatter into a void of silence and at not-quite-smiles. At first he'd talked to relieve his own anxiety, now he was trying to piss off the man he refused to call mate. No one was as even-tempered as the Alpha was pretending to be and the sooner he learned that breaking point the better.

The trick with Howard had always been to know _just_ how far to push him. When it came to arrogant, knot-head Alphas who wanted to control his life, Tony preferred for them to be pissed off but not to the point of violence.

Not that the Alpha who’d bought him seemed to be too keen on actually controlling him. Bucky - and shit was that name another annoying thing about him - had been surprisingly hands off. Too hands off. Worryingly hands off. The guy was trying to lure him into a false sense of security with all those sort of smiles and the way he had deferred all decisions about their wedding to Tony. Bucky had even worn the ridiculous robes he'd pretended were a Stark family tradition with only a small grimace - he hadn't even questioned them. Hadn't turned him in to Howard either when asked why the fuck he was wearing them. He'd just slanted a glance Tony's way, wearing that infuriating smile that wasn't really there, and claimed they were a tradition from his family.

Sometimes he thought that if they had met any other way he would actually like Bucky an awful lot. Maybe they could have been friends, the way he and his Rhodey were. Maybe he could have ended up as his _Alpha_ in a way that didn't make Tony want to punch him in the dick. As it was, he knew it was all a front - no Alpha as nice as he was pretending to be bought an Omega at an auction.

The man was an infuriating contradiction, one that refused to be solved. Sometimes he wondered if Bucky understood how much he _needed_ to solve that puzzle. His whole life depended on what kind of Alpha the man was and he knew exactly two things regarding that.

One: he had bought the 'honor' of mating Tony at an auction Howard had put together while drunk and furious at him.

Two: now that they were finally married and expected to mate immediately, Bucky was sleeping downstairs on the couch instead of pressing Tony into the mattress that looked so annoyingly comfortable.

Well, he also knew that the man smelled amazing and that he was a blusher. His scent was the first thing Tony had noticed about him, and it was fucking refreshing in a world where most Alpha scents were far too aggressive and in his face. The Alpha had looked pretty shabby and not at all like the rest of the military assholes that had been invited to the auction so Tony assumed he was there with a friend, or maybe he was dating one of the staff. Surely that scruffy, amazing smelling man wasn't there to buy him - he remembers thinking that and allowing himself one bright smile in the man's direction.

That smile had probably sealed his fate. He wasn't sure if he was angry or thankful that he'd ended up with Bucky and not someone whose knot would already be buried in his ass. At least with one of those Alphas he would know what to expect.

Instead he was standing alone in front of a bed that they were supposed to be sharing, a bundle of blankets in his arms that smelled like Bucky. His... his husband had blushed while asking if Tony would mind sleeping with them along with the clean, scent free sheets. It was the least intrusive way to start mingling their scents, he had mumbled, but he understood if Tony didn't want to and he wasn't going to force things.

Now he was downstairs on the couch that had to be at least a thousand years old and that he would barely fit on. He'd left Tony a bed so big he could swim in it, left him without a mark on his neck that would bind them together forever. All he'd asked for so far was that single favor and if he just decided not to do it he was sure Bucky wouldn't make another peep about it.

There were a lot of frustrating, infuriating things about his current situation. He'd cursed and wept, broken things and begged, then accepted his fate because what the hell else was he supposed to do? Tony hadn't made peace with what was happening, exactly, but he'd resigned himself to it and then resolved to continue on with his petty rebellions because that was all he could afford. 

Then his Alph… husband had turned out to be a blushing, scruffy man with mismatched, worn furniture. It looked like he might have spent every last penny he had to his name to buy the right to mate with him. Well, on that and the bed that looked brand new. The bed his Alpha was not sleeping in because he'd ceded it to Tony.

It pissed him off more than anything else to realize that he might not wind up hating the guy for very long.

~.~.~

"Buck... are you really sure about this?" Stevie sounded concerned for him and had every right to be. The decision to bring Tony into his life had been both bittersweet and pretty damn impulsive. He didn't do impulsive, not anymore. Not since the war had shaped him into a man he hardly recognized. "You can still change your mind if you didn't give him a mating bite yet."

"I could," he allowed even if the thought of letting Tony go started a low-level panicking inside of him. There was anger there too, cold and unyielding, that wasn't actually coming from him. "But I won't. I can't." The explosive sigh on the other end of the phone raised half his hackles. The ones he was in control of knew his best friend was only trying to look after him. "You know what it's been like since I came home Stevie."

That brought the other Alpha to a halt, because he did know. Bucky had camped out in his house long enough for him to know about the nightmares, the restlessness, the anger that lived inside him every second of the day. He honestly didn't remember much about what happened to him after he'd been captured - it was mostly fuzzy patches of memory, everything blurred into a fine haze of pain. He was sure that the other part of him, the one born of all that pain and torture, remembered it far more. He didn't blame Hydra's creation for the anger, but it was hard as hell to be a civilian and live with it in his head.

"That doesn't mean you needed to do this. There are other ways--"

"Soon as I caught his scent that first time Winter went quiet. Completely quiet Stevie. Then he... Tony smiled and I swear to God that Winter started purring. He likes Tony. Since he's hated just about everyone else I've ever met this feels like a fucking miracle. I ain't letting it go. I know Tony probably won't ever forgive me for it, and I wish I hadn't met him the way I did, but it... it feels right. He feels right." He paused to let that sink in, then couldn't help but chuckle. "I think Winter might go on a rampage if I ruined that."

"That's... 'Winter' doesn't really exist, Buck." That didn't go over well - never did, and it was a wonder that Winter had never killed the man in his sleep. "I know they were trying to brainwash you, turn you into some sort of monster, but it didn't... it's all you in there. He's just a part of you and you shouldn't keep splitting yourself up that way. It isn't good for you."

Starting a fight over the ways Steve was wrong wasn't worth it. The feisty little blond would only ever listen to the very few ways that he was right.

"You let me and my shrink worry about that. And let me and Winter worry about Tony." His eyes drifted to the stairs where his Omega - _his Omega_ \- had yet to make an appearance. Honestly he wouldn't blame the younger man if he spent the whole day sulking in their bedroom. This couldn't be how he wanted his courtship or his life to pan out. "I might need to get a new couch though. Can't sleep in the bed until I get his say-so and I think that might be a while coming."

"He made you sleep on that God-awful sofa?" Stevie's voice was full of anger and outrage, all of it directed at the Omega with the beautiful smile. Before he could stop himself he was growling into his cell phone, Winter already demanding Steve's blood. To be honest he wasn't completely adverse to that. Maybe his friend was worrying about him - mostly out of fear that no one else would - but it was no reason to start getting down on Tony. After his growl cut off, there was a period of silence and then a gusty sigh. "Sorry Buck. I just want you happy is all. Can't have been easy to be away from him all night."

"It wasn't, but it's what he needed. I think? He frowned a lot when I told him but he smelled relieved." And God had Winter basked in that, thrilled that the sour stench of fear had finally left his mate's scent. Though their separate sleeping arrangement meant that he had been shoved to the back of their consciousness while Winter patrolled the perimeter. Nothing and no one would hurt Tony, not while they were around.

Hell, he and Winter both had been ready to kill Howard Stark by the time they reached the end of their negotiations. The asshole had forced him to buy Tony's hand, something that still made bile threaten to rise up his throat. He'd wanted to court the Omega proper, had tried to secure that for both of them, but Stark had refused. Refused and threatened to sell Tony to someone else, looking smug the whole time like he knew Bucky would die before he let that happen.

So now Tony was safe, his, and probably hated him for it.

"I just want him to be happy as he can be, Stevie. Me being a little uncomfortable for a bit will be worth it if that makes him stop smelling like anger and fear."

"... if you say so. I care more about you being happy, but if you're sure you want this... well. I guess that's that. Can me and Tasha come visit soon?"

Winter approved of that idea thoroughly, sending an almost deafening 'YES' in Bucky's direction. He winced at the stab of pain that echoed through his head after, then shook himself to clear his thoughts. They were in agreement, something that was - thankfully - happening more and more. Natasha was nobody's idea of a 'proper' Omega which was part of why Steve loved her so damn much. He liked her too, and if she took a shine to Tony then maybe she could teach him a little bit about self defense. Winter would rest a lot easier if their Omega knew a bit about protecting himself.

"Of course. Maybe give it a week or so though? Tony doesn't seem to like Alphas much." An understatement going by the way his nose had wrinkled adorably any time he had to talk to one who wasn't Bucky. He would always lean as far way as he could too, and the one time he had tried to really introduce his Omega to Steve it... it hadn't gone well.

Just one more reason for Stevie to worry about him.

"Can do. Are you sure about not going on a honeymoon?"

"God, no. On one of those he'd be stuck with me all the time. At least here he can have some space, and he can have any friends over that he wants. I think he might appreciate that better than a view of the beach." Steve snorted then sighed again because he was a dramatic little shit. "I'm okay, punk. Honest."

"Yeah well. If he treats you like crap I'm coming after him."

The growl that left his throat was all him, Winter a cold ball of fury in the back of his mind. "If you so much as look at him funny, I swear to God Stevie that I will break some bones." That'd be the least of it too, because his other half would be looking for blood the next time he surfaced. "I don't care if you're worried about me and I don't care if you don't like him - he's mine, and I'll fight you if I gotta. So maybe watch what comes out of your mouth, will ya? You're like a brother to me and I don't want to have to hurt you but I will. Okay?"

"... okay. But I--"

"Talk to you later."

After he hung up he hurled his phone at the pillow he'd used the night before, doing his best not to snarl. Part of him wanted to fight, wanted to tear into something... and Winter was very on board with those desires. If he hadn't heard the tell-tale creak of floorboards at the top of the stairs, he would have run. If he didn't think Tony was about to come down, if he didn't think he was about to see his Omega, Bucky would have left. He would have had to run and run and run to keep from getting his hands bloody.

But the fresh scent drifting down calmed some of that frustration. It felt like it was wrapping around him, and funnily enough it felt like he was breathing clean air for the first time in almost two years.

"Morning Tony."

The Omega paused on the steps and he looked up, doing his best to smile. Tony didn't smile back but that was alright - he wasn't scowling the way he had all through the wedding. It was enough. It took the man a few seconds before he started moving again; it was enough time for his own smile to falter. He wished that he was good with people the way Sam and Steve were. Hell, he wished he had even half the charm he used to have, before the war and Winter.

There were a thousand things he could say, that he wanted to say, but they were all stuck in his throat. He didn't want Tony to think he was making light, and he didn't want to sound stupid either. From what he understood his Omega was a genius - smart enough to get a doctorate if Howard had approved it.

He figured that was one way he could make Tony happy, even if he flubbed anything else up.

It just meant that he really didn't have much else to offer. His conversation skills weren't likely to dazzle, he was nowhere near as wealthy as Howard had been, and he didn't run in flashy, fancy circles. He liked being at home or with his friends, and the only thing he was really good at was killing. No matter how much he didn't want to be that man anymore, Winter's lingering presence meant he could never really escape who he was.

The silence between them was awkward, strained, and he couldn't think of a single thing to say that would change that. Tony eventually reached the bottom of the stairs, bare toes curling under themselves as he rocked back on his heels. He found himself fascinated with that little detail more than anything else, even more than the rips in Tony's jeans or the tightness of his shirt. The Omega's toes had him feeling all sappy and smitten - maybe Stevie was right to be worried. Then again, Winter was rumbling happily in the back of his mind, so close to real peace that it was a blessing.

Tony was dangerous, because it would take so little for him to destroy Bucky completely.

"It's afternoon," his Omega pointed out, sounding only a little irritated. He lifted one hand to run it through his hair, lips pursed for a wonderful second before he sighed. "Sorry I wasn't down before now."

"You don't have to be sorry." One brow lifted at his quick answer, and he ducked his head to try and keep the other man from seeing his blush. "I know this isn't... it wasn't what you wanted." Tony didn't jump in with a denial, and it hurt some part of him even if he understood it. "It's an adjustment. Take as long as you need."

If he'd hoped to make things better he would have been bitterly disappointed. His Omega didn't look relieved or pleased, and his scent shifted towards anger again. Bucky just wished he knew why.

"What if it takes me forever?" That was a challenge, the other man's eyes bright with defiance. He looked beautiful like that, and he resolved yet again to never do anything that would break his Omega's spirit. "What then?"

"I'll probably have to buy a better couch."

Tony snorted, then actually began to laugh. Not loudly, not a lot, but it was still undeniably there. He had made the man laugh and it hadn't really been that hard. Maybe... maybe he could figure this out.

"Yeah, that one is kind of shitty. All your furniture is except for the bed."

"I haven't... my mom died while I was deployed. It all belonged to her and I haven't... haven't had a chance to sort through what to keep and what to get rid of. I'll get it done soon, honest. I'm sure this isn't the kind of place you'd like to bring friends to right now." Winter was sending him waves of reassurance, another relatively new development in their relationship. His other self knew that they would do it, that they could make a nest worthy of their Omega. It would take a little time, sure, but it'd get done. They'd make a house Tony could be proud of if it killed them.

When he chanced a look up at the other man Bucky was sure he would find scorn and annoyance on his face. What he found was a look of horror, gorgeous brown eyes wide and a little teary, one hand not quite hiding his open mouth. Winter immediately began 'yelling', furious with him for making their Omega upset.

"Today. I'll do it... I can get it done today. I should have done it before the wedding. I'm sorry." He was stumbling over his own words in his haste to get them out, and he couldn't help but grimace at his own idiocy. A glance at his watch showed that it was indeed afternoon, but only just. It'd take a lot of effort and maybe a call to Stevie and Sam, but he could do it. Fuck, why hadn't he done it before bringing Tony home? The bed hadn't been enough even if he'd agonized over what to buy for days - he should have done more. Tony deserved to be comfortable, and the weight of his disappointment and Winter's fury was almost enough to make his knees buckle.

When a warm, calloused hand settled on his cheek the only thing that kept him from breaking the arm attached to it was Tony's scent. That got his attention, honed all his other senses toward his Omega. There was actual worry written in the man’s expression, and much to his shame it was enough to make his eyes feel just a little wet.

"Sorry," he mumbled again, chest tight with the panic attack that still might happen. "Sorry." Tony was standing close enough that they were sharing body heat, and he couldn't help but try to catch as much of the man's scent as he could, nostrils flaring. As angry as he was about Bucky's weakness Winter was just as captivated; for just a moment, he worried that his other self would take advantage and come forward so he could talk to Tony for himself.

"Don't... you don't have to apologize. Fuck, I'm the one who's sorry. So you don't be because I'd rather you focus on breathing because your lungs were working triple time there for a second which I've been told isn't healthy. Rhodey counts for me when I'm doing it but it's never really helped me so I'm not sure how to help you if you have a full-blown panic attack--"

"You have them too?"

"Alphas are dicks."

That was exactly the wrong thing to say if he really wanted Bucky to calm down. There were a lot of things that could mean, every one worse than the last, and within seconds he and Winter were ready for blood. Someone had hurt his Omega, scared him enough to give him panic attacks, and now that someone was going to pay. Winter nearly surged forth again, and Bucky almost let him. At the last second they both reigned it in because they never, ever wanted to be the ones that scared Tony.

"Gonna need some names, sweetheart," he rasped, voice a mix of his own and the deeper timbre Winter preferred. There was no way he didn't have his murder face on, the one that even Stevie and Sam were a little afraid of. Tony didn't look too upset though, and his hand was still pressed to the side of his face. His thumb even began to stroke over his cheekbone and despite his mounting fury he couldn't help but turn into that touch. He had expected Tony to pull away, to take a few steps back and establish a good amount of distance again.

This was the closest they'd been except for the brief kiss Tony had grudgingly brushed over the corner of his mouth after they'd said 'I do'.

So Tony staying put was unexpected to say the least. When he let Bucky press his lips into the cradle of his palm and linger there, just breathing him in... that was miracle territory. It didn't remove the urge to break anyone that had ever hurt his Omega, but it let him put that aside so he could focus on the man that was right there with him. Winter took a little longer to settle, but when Tony's other hand tentatively began stroking his hair... well. Pretty soon the merciless assassin Hydra had created was purring in the back of his head, felled by an Omega that didn't even know he existed.

"You're not panicking anymore, which is a plus but I'm not giving you any names because I feel like if a bunch of people who were dicks to me ended up in the river - or missing, maybe you'd be classy and go for missing - someone would figure it out. I should probably also object to your murderous inclinations but it was kind of sweet in a weird, violent way. I'm sorry for... you know. The other thing. Not sure why you got all flustered to begin with, but I know it was my fault, and--"

"I know you didn't want this," he murmured into Tony's skin, eyes closed so he could soak in the feeling for as long as he could. "And you deserve a lot better than me." Winter disagreed because _nobody_ could protect Tony the way they could. "But when I asked Howard if I could just court you, he showed me the list of..." Bile rose in his throat again, and he knew if Winter ever slipped his willing leash the elder Stark would be the first person he killed. "The other bidders. He showed me and I couldn't... they weren't good Alphas. I figured even if you hated me I could--"

"You tried to get Howard to stop the auction?" His Omega sounded breathless, cautiously hopeful, and the hand in his hair stilled. "Really?"

"Mmm. He wouldn't, not even when that Jarvis fellow stepped in. So I had to... I know this isn't what you wanted," he said again, wanting to make Tony understand. "But I want to do whatever I can to make you comfortable. Happy if I can. I should have done something about the furniture as soon as I had a date for the wedding, but I--" Tony's hand abruptly dropped away, but before he could do more than whine over the loss his Omega's forehead was pressed against his. They were close enough to kiss, close enough that he caught the first hint of his own scent mingled with Tony's. His whine shifted to a low rumble of pleasure, and when he opened his eyes it was to find a light blush on Tony's cheeks. "You used one of the blankets."

"Got cold."

"I can get it warmer in here. Or get you a different blanket." Fuck, why hadn't he given Tony a blanket that didn't smell like him? He'd forced the Omega to shiver or sleep wrapped up in his scent and that was--

"You need to stop breathing so crazy at the drop of a hat, Buckster. Fuck, I keep... okay. You're right - this wasn't what I wanted. MIT was ready to offer me a place in their doctorate program." He couldn't help but feel a flicker of pride for his Omega, who was brilliant and persistent enough to get the college to even think about doing that. Omegas were usually relegated to roles like nursing or education; for a university like MIT to allow an Omega to get a degree like that... God, Tony was something special. He hated himself for his role in taking that away. "I had all these plans for afterward, and none of them included this."

"I know. And I swear I'll do whatever I can to make it better for you."

"You're so fucking frustrating." That... hurt, would have made him rear back if Tony hadn't put a hand to the back of his neck to keep him there. He would have killed anyone else for taking the liberty, and Winter was suddenly watchful again, but Tony was always going to be the exception. "No Alpha I've ever met has been this nice."

"Then you've been hanging around the wrong Alphas sweetheart."

"That's... besides the point. I've been waiting for the other shoe to drop since I met you because you just... you couldn't be so fucking patient and even tempered. I was sure you were going to punish me for the stupid robe as soon as we got home. But you just.... you keep apologizing and trying to make things better and I don't know what to do with that, or with the way you call me... this isn't what I wanted, Buckaroo, but... but maybe it won't be awful. Maybe it can even be good. But to get there you need to stop apologizing and freaking out over every little thing. I am supposed to be the high-strung one in any relationship that involves me, okay? We can't both be all anxious and shit. And if I didn't want to use the damn blanket I would have stayed up all night with chattering teeth and cursed your name the whole time. Okay?"

"... okay."

"Okay." Tony took a deep breath, and they were still close enough that he could feel it fanning over his skin once it was expelled. "Okay. I'm not... I'm not ready for--"

"As long as you need, Tony. On my honor." It was something he and Winter agreed on emphatically - they only wanted what their Omega was willing to give because it didn't mean a damn otherwise. Even if he were that kind of asshole, his more violent half would never let it happen. It was so fucking nice to be on the same page with that piece of him that Hydra had carved out and made separate, and he would give Tony everything he could as thanks for that gift.

"What if I never am?"

"I'll get a really nice couch then, just in case."

This time Tony's surprised laughter was clear and bright. It filled all the empty spaces that had been in the house since he'd moved back in. For just a little while everything felt warm, even Winter who was very proud of Bucky's success. If he could just keep this - keep Tony's smile and his laughter - he would never need anything else.

~.~.~

A week into his marriage, he was still sleeping alone in a bed that was way too big for him without a claiming mark on his neck. Bucky was still on a sofa that was too old and too small, and he was getting just a little tired of his Alph... his husband's self-sacrificing bullshit. Bucky had been in the room while Tony had been on a video conference with his sourpatch who was (understandably) pissed by the situation he'd found himself in while the Alpha was away. Rhodey had glowered and passive agressively insulted his husband every chance he got. At first it had felt sort of good to have someone so solidly on his side in this mess... but then he'd seen the way Bucky was shrinking further and further into himself. 

He had forgotten that the man he'd married seemed to be carting around just as many issued as he did.

Before he could fix it, make it right, force Rhodey to play nice, his best friend had tapped into his rarely used evil genius and asked Tony about his workshop. He hadn't been able to hide how much the loss of one had hurt him, and Bucky had honed in on that like a wolf zeroed in on prey. There were immediate questions and clarifications, his attention rapt on Rhodey as he answered them because Tony had been busy gaping in shock. By the time he had the presence of mind to end the fucking call, his platypus looked vaguely approving, and Bucky was a man on a mission.

The garage and basement were getting a very extensive remodel before anything else was done in the house. He didn't know whether to throttle the idiot Alpha he'd married or kiss him.

And the man was still sleeping downstairs on that fucking awful couch, which left him cranky and awake at two in the morning. He wasn't even on an inventing binge, for fuck's sake!

Thoroughly disgusted with both himself and his moron of a husband, Tony finally rolled out of bed with a huff. Maybe if he went down and made some tea it would help. Bucky kept a minty flavor in the cupboard that actually wasn't awful if he put a spoon or so of sugar in the cup too. It helped him clear his mind and maybe - just maybe - if it wasn't so cluttered up there he could fall the fuck to sleep.

He was as quiet as he could be going down the stairs, because Bucky had some of the best senses he'd ever seen. The sixth and eleventh stairs were squeaky, something he was going to fix as soon as he had tools again, so he was careful to step over them. Once he got to the bottom he could just make out a few muffled sounds - his husband must have left the TV on. The Alpha would probably beat himself up if he woke up and it was still on, because he beat himself up over everything. Sneaking into the living room was a risk, but it was one he felt pretty okay taking. If Bucky did wake up maybe he could badger the Alpha into joining him for tea. When he got into the room, however, the TV was dark and the only thing making any noise was his husband.

The Alpha was alternating between grunts and whimpers on the couch, and he was curled up into a tighter ball than should be possible. His entire body was trembling, he was soaked in sweat, and now that he was close enough all Tony could smell rolling off of him was sheer terror.

"Bucky..." he hurried forward, his own fear swallowed by worry for the other man. It had to be a hell of a dream he was having, and the only way to help him was to wake him up. "Buckaboo, wake u--"

The reaction was immediate once he put a trembling hand on the Alpha's upper arm. With a vicious snarl that activated every prey instinct Tony had, he surged upward. He could only let out a choked gasp as strong fingers curled around his throat and he was shoved backward and taken down to the floor. While his body hit hard enough to make him cry out, at the last second those deadly fingers slid around and cradled the back of his head. That was probably the only thing that saved him from a nasty concussion at the least, because there was a sharp 'crack' in his ears when Bucky's hand took the brunt of the impact.

With the Alpha's heavy, solidly muscled body covering his, all he he could do was go as still as possible, pulse fluttering wildly in his throat. He tried to control his breathing - his scent would be showing his fear off nicely, so he could damn well try to keep control of his other reactions - but he all he could manage was shallow pants that echoed like gunshots in the quiet air.

"Omega..." Bucky's voice was deeper, raspier than usual. His husband usually didn't do things like bury his nose against his throat either, and he'd certainly never mouthed at his Adam's apple that way. Even with fear throbbing through his veins, Tony couldn't help but gasp at the feeling, a shiver born of reluctant pleasure shivering through him.

Suddenly the Alpha reared back a little, enough that Tony could finally see his face even in the dim light. It was harder than usual, like he was carved out of stone, and his eyes almost seemed to glow an icy blue. A whimper escaped his throat, because he had the strange, impossible thought that maybe this wasn't Bucky at all... and that harsh, unforgiving expression melted just a little. That might have even been regret in the way his lips pressed together, and the fingers still at the back of his head began to play through his hair.

"B-bucky?"

"No. Yes." The Alpha's eyes darted back and forth, like he was expecting a trap to be sprung at any second. Pretty fucking ironic considering he still had Tony pinned beneath him. "I'm..." Another long pause, and then the man finally met his gaze again. Concern and self-loathing looked a little different on this new side of Bucky, but he could still read them plain as day. "I'm sorry. I didn't... we never wanted to scare you."

"We? What the fuck is going on?" Fear was giving way to confusion and anger, because really - what the fucking fuck? Just as he was thinking that maybe, maybe, Bucky was worth letting his guard down a little, just when he was getting ready to trust the guy…

"Bucky was captured," Bucky or... or whoever told him quietly. "He was... we were... hurt." A flash of remembered pain crossed that hard face, and he thought about the stench of Alpha terror still heavy in the air. "Our shrink uses a lot of fancy words about it. He says Bucky created me for self-protection. Don't know about that. Do know I'm Winter, and that you're ours to take care of. Instead I scared you."

His mind was running a mile a minute, calculating the odds that Bu... that Winter was telling the truth. The softer sciences had never interested him much - seemed like a lot of bullshit in his opinion. So maybe it was possible. Maybe his husband had been... had tortured-- A spasm went through him, because even if Bucky was a frustrating, self-sacrificing idiot, he had never deserved that. Before he could think better of it his hands were on the Alpha's sides, stroking up and down in a soothing motion.

Winter jerked, then looked down at him with wonder in his expression. The man sat back a little, allowing him a little more space and breathing room. Then his free hand, the one not buried in his hair, carefully lifted and stroked Tony's cheek. Part of him wanted to flinch back, because he still wasn't completely clear on exactly what was going on... but he managed to hold still. If this was a real thing, if it wasn't some elaborate prank or dream, then he was kind of married to two people and one of them was only getting to meet him now.

Seemed kind of fucked up and unfair, really. Even if Winter had sort of scared the shit out of him, the Alpha hadn't meant it. Tony should have been more careful waking him up.

"You don't smell afraid anymore." Winter's fingertips were gentle as they ghosted over his face, carefully exploring his features. "And you're touching me."

"Yeah, well... it's not every day you learn your husband was tortured in some other country. Or that he's got some second personality bullshit going on. And you were... you were just having a nightmare. Or Bucky was. Somebody was having a nightmare and you smelled scared, and I didn't really like that at all. I'm supposed to... we're married. Maybe it wasn't exactly what I wanted, but we - me and Bucky - decided we were going to try and make this work and even if I wish he'd take care of himself more I don't hate him anymore. He tried - you both tried? How the fuck does this work? Anyway," he was babbling, knew he was babbling, but Winter's face was the softest he'd seen it. His body was relaxing with every stroke of Tony's hands, and the Omega in him was really fucking proud of the fact that he could soothe his Alpha.

Alphas.

Fuck.

"Howard was never going to stop the auction because he was really, really pissed at me for improving one of his designs. But that he - you both - tried to stop it means, you know, a lot. And I want to see if we can make this work, because you're both still being stupid understanding of my boundaries and you're sleeping on this shitty couch even though that bed could probably hold four people no problem. So. You know. Touching is sort of part of making this work, even if I'm not ready for, you know. The sex."

Winter was looking down at him with unmasked fondness and delight, a smile tugging at his lips like Tony wasn't making an idiot of himself. The Alpha's large, calloused hand had finally stopped and was cupping the right side of his face. It felt... it was nice. He wasn't all that used to getting touched either, because Rhodey was overseas, Howard was a typical Alpha douche and his mom was busy getting drunk so she could forget how miserable she was. Jarvis had only ever dared so much, and sometimes he missed simple skin to skin contact.

He thought that maybe, if he was willing to give them a little trust, Bucky and Winter could solve that problem for him.

"We won't ever ask for that," Winter promised quietly, forcing him to scramble for what the hell the Alpha was talking about. Once he figured it out, a warm gooey feeling spread through him and he couldn't help but tip his head back, showing just a sliver of his throat. Winter rumbled his pleasure but didn't press the advantage, just kept staring down at him like he was the man's whole world. It was... it was nice. He fisted his hands in Bucky's shirt and held on tight, bunching the fabric.

"You shouldn't be sleeping on the couch," was the answer that came out of his mouth, because fuck it. The bed was too big, he was lonely up there by himself, and Winter's first reaction on realizing who he attacking was to protect his head. "Come upstairs. Just for sleep!" He added quickly, just in case. There was no way he wanted to lead his Alphas on or cause that kind of misunderstanding. "You can come sleep in the bed with me, okay?"

"We don't want to make you--"

"I am inviting you, you aren't pressuring me, and I can't sleep when I think of the hell you're putting your back through. So could you maybe just fucking listen to me?"

"If we have another nightmare--"

"I don't think you'll hurt me. Not on purpose, anyway. I get it, or no I don't really get it but I know that you were over there fighting and.. and you told me about, you know... so I get it. PTSD is a bitch and I'll be more careful with waking you up and with your panic attacks from now on, okay? So just... just come to bed."

Winter's face was unreadable but still hadn't regained that stony, frightening quality from earlier. He was thinking deeply, that was clear. Tony had the sudden realization that he might even be consulting with Bucky somehow. Finally - finally - he eased all the way off of Tony and offered him a hand up. Once they were both standing he looked down at their clasped hands, a small frown on his full lips.

"Is this.. permitted?"

"Yeah," he murmured back, heart melting a little. "It's permitted. Now come on."

He was pretty sure that Winter could take him down with ease. There was even the idle thought that maybe, just maybe, Winter was a lean, mean, killing machine... and he still let Tony tow him along, following in his wake uncertainly. By the time they got upstairs and into the bedroom, he looked nervous and it was fucking adorable. He'd never seen that expression on an Alpha before, and he wanted to wrap the man up in blankets and cuddle him.

So that was exactly what he was going to do.

"I get the left side, alright?" He let Winter's hand drop to crawl into the bed, showing the covers back for both of them. "Now let's go. Time to get our snuggle on." The Alpha hesitated, clearly worried about somehow upsetting him, and fuck the guy was precious. They were both so damn cute, and he was starting to think that this really could work. "If you don't get in this bed I'm going to start crying."

The threat had Winter moving double time, but even once he'd gotten under the covers and was laying down he was stiff as a board. He'd briefly reached for Tony only to snatch his hand back, and his jaw was set so hard he was developing a tick. Sensing it was up to him to close the distance, he didn't hesitate to flop his body over the Alpha's. Winter tensed even more, which should have been impossible, then slowly relaxed.

"So when you're here... is Bucky still around?"

"... yes. I slid to the front when the nightmare hit, but neither one of us is ever really gone. He can hear you."

"So he knows I okayed the bed sharing and he won't freak the fuck out when we wake up, right? I hate when he beats himself up that way. He's been... really great. You're both, you know. Not bad for Alphas. I'm really lucky that you're mine."

The blush that crawled up his cheeks was worth it for the low purr that started up in Winter's chest. The man's arms finally wrapped around him and cuddled him close and it felt fucking good. He gave a quiet sigh and closed his eyes, nuzzling his cheek against his Alpha's chest. An abrupt thought hit, and he popped up enough that he could look down into Winter's face. The Alpha's arms immediately slackened which made him roll his eyes - both idiots he was married to were really overcautious in the extreme. He tugged one arm tighter himself, and luckily Winter got the message and even shot him an uncertain smile.

"I married you too, even if I didn't know it," he said quietly. "And... Bucky if you're listening I'm sorry I didn't give you a better one but I was still really pissed at the whole situation. So I didn't... it was a sucky one and I can fix that later, okay? But Winter didn't get one at all and that's really not fair, so..."

The Alpha below him looked completely lost, like he had no idea what Tony was talking about. To be fair that was probably true. Nerves were turning his own stomach, so he didn't stop to explain. No, he just leaned down, hesitating for only a moment before he pressed his lips against the other man's softly. Winter's mouth immediately went slack with shock, and he couldn't help but chuckle against hi, otherwise holding still. It took a couple of heartbeats, but then his husband was kissing him back.

It was the gentlest, most chaste kiss he'd ever gotten, and it was still making his heart beat wildly in his chest.

Embarrassed and pleased, he finally pulled away and laid down again. He used Winter's neck as a convenient hiding place - the way his scent was strong there was only a bonus. It was, he realized, just a little different than Bucky's own - there was a hint of copper in the mix, with some of the woodsy notes in Bucky's scent receding. He still liked it a hell of a lot though, and a little purr of his own escaped before he could stop it.

Winter wasn't stopped by how short the sound was, not even a little. He just started up where Tony had left off and tightened his arms even more, holding him close. The rumbling purr was the perfect lullaby and soon enough he felt sleep begin to creep up on him. As he drifted off, feeling safe and comfortable, he decided that even if this hadn't been what he wanted... maybe he'd ended up exactly where he was supposed to anyway.


End file.
